Education and Drama

Pursue your passion for Drama while developing the knowledge, skills and experience you need to become an educator across diverse settings.

• Explore important current themes in Education, such as social justice, inclusion, wellbeing, sustainability, and education policy.

• Experiment, reflect and innovate in Drama; learn by making, producing, performing, directing and collaborating.

• Build skills that employers look for, including research, teamwork, and the ability to understand and interpret complex information.

Are you passionate about changing lives through education?

Our Education and Drama degree builds your knowledge of Drama alongside your understanding of how education transforms individual outcomes and societies.

In your Education modules, you’ll develop a portfolio of skills that employers look for, such as creative thinking, taking initiative, networking, and problem solving. You’ll explore these skills through the lens of sustainability, global citizenship and digital literacy, from local and global perspectives.

Making is at the heart of the Drama work you undertake. You’ll work regularly on projects as part of a theatre ensemble and develop skills in areas such as performing, directing, playwriting, musical theatre, production and media, performance-making and applied theatre.

Many of our graduates choose to become teachers in schools, but that's not the only path open to you. We'll support you in achieving your aspirations as a professional educator – however they develop during the degree.

Combined Honour Awards
At Bath Spa University many of our undergraduate programmes can be combined, so you don’t have to limit yourself to one subject. If you choose to study a combined award then in Year One you’ll start by studying both subjects in equal depth. From Year Two you can choose whether to continue with equal numbers of modules from each subject, or whether you want to select additional modules in one or the other. Upon successful completion of the programme you will graduate with a joint degree.

<strong>Year one</strong>
The first year introduces key concepts and skills that underpin the study of Education. You'll be introduced to formal and informal education and explore the potential of education to transform lives. Key themes include wellbeing, global citizenship and the impact of research.

In your Drama modules, you’ll work with other students as part of a theatre ensemble, develop foundational skills in acting and directing, and build critical skills in performance analysis.

<strong>Year two</strong>
In your second year you’ll be introduced to the key ideas and theories needed to understand contemporary educational issues.

You’ll learn about education policy and its role on a local and global scale. You’ll also evaluate how education contributes to achieving change in the workplace.

You’ll explore global citizenship and wellbeing in more depth. You’ll have the opportunity to explore sustainable development. Depending on your choice of modules, you can undertake an education placement in your second year.

In Drama, you’ll explore topics such as performance-making, applied theatre, playwriting, acting, directing, musical theatre and theatre production, with opportunities to work with your fellow students, specialist staff, and visiting professionals and artists.

<strong>Year three</strong>
You’ll develop a deeper understanding of a professional career in education and education’s role in sustainable development. If you’re interested in a teaching career, and you’re on target to successfully complete your degree, we offer a guaranteed interview for our Primary or Secondary PGCE courses in your final year.

In your final year Drama modules, real-world application of your skills becomes the focus of your study. You’ll have the flexibility to choose optional modules that are of particular interest to you in areas such as Shakespeare, Staging a Play, Writing and Directing for Performance, and Musical Theatre.

In your Education modules, you'll be assessed through various tasks and coursework including written assignments, creative projects, practical assessments and presentations. There are no exams.

In the Drama component of your course, assessment tasks include public performance, playwriting, in-class performance of devised or published work, presentations, performance of backstage/technical roles, critical reflection, working as part of an ensemble, script analysis, devising, and individual / group research projects.

We’ll provide you with prompt feedback and give you regular guidance on how to improve your skills, knowledge and understanding.

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

• Course does not award QTS